Automatic spring wheel



, A. F. HAHNER AUTOMATIC SPRING WHEEL Filed July 21, 1926 Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

AUGUST FRANK HAHNE'R, oFiios ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, Assieixonor r'onfrr lPrin CENT TOVWILLIKAM I .EQSTANGLER oF Los.ANGELEscALrFoRNrA g .AUTOMATIC SPRING WHEEL.

i Appucatin med Julym, 192e.` 'seriar No. 123,895.

rMy invention `is an automatic spring wheel comprising a spring .arrangement to form a lresilient wheel.

An object of my invention is mounting a series of springs between a hub and a rim or felly of a wheel, these springs being const-ucted to co-act one with the other and iliormv a resilient or spring acting Wheel.

A more specilic Vobject of my invention isl utilizing'substantially. ring-like springs attached onone sideto' the rim or .felly of a wheel and attached on the other sideto a hub.

the axle. extending through the hub andv eitherbeing rigidly'connect'ed vthereto for a driving wheel or journaled in the hub for a' iXed axle. y

In constructing my spring wheel I utilize preferably ak .hollow hub-.ora hub having a lange and attach springs to Lthe rim or telly zo ofthe wheel, ,these .spnings.being .bent into substan ti ally;v a ringv with. theiriv outside sfporf. z tion-secured to the. rim .or-.fellzyand, theopipq.; site .side secured 1to1 ...the .flange @The frings. .1 are; preferably, .sufficient .inlenumber so .that .'Ihx-irefore.A` vwhen they/touch each@l o tlner..` there is relativegmovementjof .thehub towards the. ellydue ftoweight .putv.,on..the.axl.e

- or a. bumpfor. jar,`

spring.

act both. by compression and tension.-A

connected together. c r

My` `invention .willbe f. stood...fro1n .the following.,'description` drawings, in which .Moreover, .in `my:.constructionthe,springsv l Y When vdue-to...the Weight of n :load.;or. other.,.circuin. stances I:the springs ,on.. one .sideof thel wheel., are .'.connpressed5`Y thoseion the other..iiside.k are: tensioned .and .ininyv construction I may form. the.. rings [ofk a plurality.. of. Separate` leaves. a,

i' i preferablybe securedtofthe felly.15and.:may

f together and .with the. adj acentspring rings secured' .Fig..6 is a 4detail showing part ofthe Wheel Yof yanother slight modification inwhichthe springs are madeas complete rings or. hoops... i

`The axle and hub constructions are subi@ stantially as follows7 theaXle being d.esig, 1

j nated generally by the numeral 1 and illusand one spring-is., com,...V pressed,..theiaction ..is..carriedf.to'tthe.other... Y l y Y..1turnedfsitiles.lit-which fit underneath .the ex-v v.

tension 5 .of lthe hub .construction and .finsi de f 3 .l- :,fwr" Figure 1 is a side elevationof ya wheelncon- .structed 1n accordanceiwthvmyf.inventiomil lustrating a type of disewheeliiniwhichthel springs are enclosed;

Fig. 2 is a section transversely through the wheel on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the wheel on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

the spring rings made of a plurality'of segmental springs itted together;

Fig. 5 is an elevation ofa slightly modified" type of Wheel, showing an open construction Fig. 4 is a'modified construction showing being an extension 5 oi' the disc section beyond struction. itlis desirable to 'formyt trated as tubular, this hav-ing a hub 2 with a iange 3 extending from adisc section 4, there thelange, the flange being concentric to the axle. A cover plate 6 is securedto the disc of the hubbyrmeans of bolts 7gwhich extend through sleeves 8. In the type ofaXle illustrated, avcollar 9 is secu-reden one. side of the hub having a cap'lO threa'dedvthereon and a nu`tf11 screwed on the other end'otl the axle holds saine intight relation to the hub. If desired. the cap mayliave an Opernng .1.2i` therethrough: for a; stationary or driven. axle. .175 The. springs are 'shownin ,the `r'orinoi" a rinhaving.theirloutside .portion v.1.4L secured i of adjacent springs` lrzontacL-.f

In the construction shown in, Eig-s. 3; .the ellyzhas connected .theretoinwardly the ,coven plate 6..; lorder .v to.; brace these 'sidesltheyV are v. secured..together .r by. bolts.`

passing. throughmsileeves.; 21.-. In .thisfhcone he ffellyiand i thesidewallsintegral. .L :j A rim' 22 of any. suitablecharacter would.A

and'witgh a .seriesoj.segmentalrings 25,.th;esc,fA` f 'dimmishingin length andthereby forming a multiple spring -secured to thel flange of .then hub by a substantial rivet 17. In this construction it isalso desirable tol have the outer rings ofthe spring contacting with adjacent springs. e In Fig. 5 I illustrate a construction by which the extension 5 of the hub is omitted and the cover plate 6 ends at substantially the flange of the hub.'` In this'case it is desirable. to make the disc section 26 and thelange secgive a stiffer construction.

The manner of action of my wheel is substantially as follows:

It will be readily seen that when weight is put on the axle and the wheel bearing on the ground, that the lower spring will be'` compressed andl the uppermost spring tensioned and also that asl the lowermost spring is spread out it bears against thev adjacent springs at each side and distorts same, this distortion is carried completely around the Wheel. As the wheel rolls over the ground the successive lower spring becomes compressed and spreads and all the springs contactingbecome distorted, each spring transmitting a stress to the next adjacent, If the wheel undergoes a violent bump, the lower springs are merely compressed to a greater extent and the .upper springs elongated or tensioned to a greater extent than inl normal running and the action of the springs is transmitted completely around the wheel.

In the construction of Fig. 4r a stronger and stiffer wheel is shown than that shown in the other figures, which may be more suitable for heavy truck Work. It is to be understood that in this construction the sides or coverings of the wheel may be eliminated.

In the construction of Fig. '5, the adjacent springs are securedV together by rivets,

the compressive stresses or the tension stresses from opposite springsy are directly transmitted to the springs adjacent thereto, causing a distortion of same.

In the open wheel of the type of Fig. 5, it is desirable that the springs be of considerable width relative to the` diameter of the wheel in order` to withstand side stresses as when a vehicle makes a. rapid turn orvbumps against a curb or other object on the side.

It is also obvious by my construction that vthe resilient wheel will transmit power from' the axle as on a driving wheel, as well` as act as a loose wheel on a fixed axle or shaft.

JAlthough I have illustrated the wheel with comparatively few springs, it is to beunderstood that these may be increased in number or diminished if desired and also that the general construction and specific details may be changed to suit different types of wheels. Such changes would be within the spirit of my invention as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

In Fig. 6 the springs 45 are formed ascomplete rings or hoops and are preferably secured to the rim by a single rivet 46 instead of the' two rivets securing the two ends as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, these having a rivet for securing the opposite side of the spring to the hub structure.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A spring Wheel comprising in combinationan axle, a hub secured thereto, saidl hub having a disc extending radially from the axle, a flange concentric with the axle and an extension of the disc beyond the f1ange,a cover plate secured to the disc ofthe hub, a1 felly, av plurality of ring like springs secured between the flange of the hub and the felly, said felly having' inturned sides extending radially and fitting underneath the extension ofthe disc and cover plate, and a rim secured to the felly, y f

2. A spring wheel comprising in combi-V nation an axle, a hub having a flange concentric therewith, a plurality of ring like springs each formed of nested leaves, the inner leaves being shorter than the outer leaves, means securingthe inner leaves to the flange of the hub at about their mid-position, a,.felly, means securing the outer ends of the outer leaves to the felly, adjacent springs-contacting, the felly having inturned sides extending radially, and there being plates extending from the hub radially outwardly and overlapping the inturned sides of'y the'felly, and a rim secured to the felly. i H

3. A spring wheel' comprising in combination an axle, a hub having a disc with a flange concentric withl the axle andan extension beyond said flange, a cover plate bolted to the discland spacedtherefrom by sleeves, a plurality of rings` formed of leaf springs nested together, the inner leaves being short-- er than the outer leaves, said leaves being secured to the flange at about their mid-position, a felly,' the ends of the longer leaves being secured to said felly, the felly having. in;- turned sides extending insidev of the extension of the disc andthe cover plate, said inturnedr sides' being spaced apart by bolts,- with sleeves surrounding the bolts, and a rim secured to the f-elly. p

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. i,

AUGUST FRANK HAHN ER.l 

